Sheet-feeding mechanism.



F. DE IVHNICO.

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISNI.

APPLicATloN HLED JUNE 20,1913.

Patented July 10, 191?.

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F. DE MINICO.

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM.

MM am F. DE MINICO.

SHEET FEIEDING MECHANISIVI. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20,1913.

Patented July 10, 19W.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

TE STATES FAN Fl.

FRANK A.'DE MINICO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., SSIGNOR TO POLLARD-ALLINGMANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SHEET-FEEDING MECHN ISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenten aan io, ieri.

Application ined June 2o, 1913. serial no. 774,755.

ed certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Feeding Mechanisms, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanisms, and has for itsobject to provide a mechanism of the class s ecified,

simple in construction, rapid and e cientin l action and so fullyautomatic as to be operable by unskilled attendants. f

With these objects in view, my improve ments comprise featuresillustrated in the drawings accompanying this specification and whereinFigure 1 is a side elevationof a machine embodying my improvedmechanism, and Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding therewith. Figs. 3,4, and 6 are frag mentary side elevations respectively of details of myimprovements illustrating successive features in the operation of a portion of said improvements.

Before describing the invention in detail I desire to have it understoodthat the invention isnot limited to the particular oonst-ruction andarrangement of parts which I have illustrated and shall hereinafter deflscribe, and that various changes may be made in the mechanism withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention, and that thephraseology which I employ is for the purpose of description and not oflimitation.

In the present drawings I have chosen to illustrate my improvementsembodied in a machine particularly adapted for printing addresses on themargins respectively of sheets. envelops, pamphlets or periodicals. Saidmachine is adapted for taking such periodicals one by one from a hopperor rack in which vthelv are stacked, and adi vancing those periodicalsconsecutively through the machine. printing a predetermined address oneach one thereof and delivering those periodicals from the machine readyto be despatched in bundles or otherwise to their several destinationsindicated by the respective addresses printed thereon.

My improved mechanism comprises side frames 2 and 3, provided withsuitable bearings for the various shafts and supports for the variousdetail parts. At the left-hand end of the machine, Figs. l and 2, andwhich end may be the receiving end, I provide means for supporting astack of sheets or periodicals 4 comprising a hopper or rack 5adjustablyfixed by means of bolts as 6 to slotted portions as 7 ofv sideframes 2 and 3. Said hopper is so positioned relatively to thehorizontal plane that said sheets stand therein on edge in anapproximately vertical position leaning slightly forwardly to the rightfrom such vertical position. Front wall 8 of hopper 5 is provided forsupporting the lower portion of said sheets, foremost sheet 9 bearingdirectly against said front wall and the other sheets of the stackresting against said foremost sheet.

For supporting the vupper portion of said sheets, I provideintermittently acting means for at one time engaging the upper portionof the foremost sheet of the stack and at another time for releasingthat foremost sheet so lthat it may be conveniently withdrawn from thefront of the stack. Said intermittently acting means comprises one ormore downwardly reaching fingers l0 fixed to rock shaft 11 pivotallymounted on a fixed axis in arms 12 and 13. Said arms are fixed by setscrews as 14 to shaft 15 rigidly fixed in upstanding members 16 and 17of side frames 2 and 3 respectively by means of set screwsas 18.provided with a stop 20 for engaging the upper edges ofthe sheets as 9respectively of` stack 4 whensaid finger is in an engaging positionrelatively to said sheets. For rocking finger 10 about shaft 11, as, forinstance, from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 3, I provide rockarm 19 pivoted at 21 in a portion of upstanding bracket 17 on frame 3.Rock arm 1f) is bifurcated at its upper end for engagement with pin 22eccentricall-v fixed to shaft 1l of finger 10. 'lo the other end of saidrock arm 19 is pivotally fixed roll 23 for engagement with cam 4J. fixedto shaft 45 having bearings in side frames 2 and 3.

For removing successive foremost sheets as 9 from stack 4, I provideco-acting members comprising roll 24 and rotary segment 25. Roll 24 ismounted for free rotation on shaft 26 having bearings in the upper endsof arms 27 and 28 respectively fixed to rock shaft 29 pivoted in sideframes 2 and 3. Arm 27 is provided with a downwardly extending portion30 to which is attached one Said finger 10 may be4 end of pull spring31, the other cnd of said spring being lixed to stud 32 inwardlyreaching from frame 2. Member 30 of arm 27 may be prevented fromexcessive movement to the left, Fig. l, by stop pin 33. By thearrangement liust described it will be seenthat roll 24 is yieldablymounted for movement toward and from rotary segment 25, whereby sheet orperiodical 9, introduced between said roll and segment, will kbe springgripped therebetween. For folding the upper portion of said foremostsheet 9 downwardly around roll 24 to be gripped against said roll bysegment 25, Fig. 4, I provide gripper 34, preferably pneumatic. Saidgripper is preferably arranged for engaging the face of the foremostsheet, Fig. l, and may be mounted in the free end of arm 35 pivoted onshaft 15. Said gripper is pivotally mounted in said free end of said armand is provided with means for causin it to rock on its own axiscoincidently wit the rocking of arm 35 on its axis 15. VSaid rockingmeans comprises arm 36 fixed to gripper 34 and connected by link 37 tostud 38 in upright 16 of frame 2. For oscillating arm 35 on it-s pivot,I provide crank 39iixed to shaft connecting the free end of that crankto said arm 35 by link 40. By the means just described pneumatic gripper3.4 is caused, after gripping the foremost sheet,

' to move downwardly in constant relationto the face of that sheetduring its engagement therewith, whereby the integrity of itsconnectionwith said sheet is maintained. This action will be observed byinspection ofFigs. 1, 3 and 4, in the last of which said gripper hasdelivered said sheet to roll 24 and segment 25. The top edge of sheet 9,while it is being folded about roll 24, traverses an involute curve andthe face of gripper 34 maintains a position of substantial normality tosuccessive tangents of that curve. For providing pneumatic suction tosaid gripper, its tubular body 41 is connected by pipe 42() with pipe 43mounted for oscillation coaxially with shaft 15. Said pipe 43 may beconnected with solne suitable wellknown source of exhaust, not shown.

Finger 10 is not only eliicient for supporting the upper part of thestack of sheets or periodicals in hopper 5, but= having released theforemostsheet of that stack is efficient, Fig. 4, for lifting theremainder of the sheets in said stack, whereby the weight of thosesheets is removed from unduly pressing against and hindering the removalof said foremost sheet.

Below segment 25, I provide one or more guide plates 42, curvedthroughout a portion of their lengt-li, concentric with the path of saidsegment. Said guide plates are efficient for directing the sheets as 9downwardly and forwardly to the right after said sheets have beensuccessively gripped and advanced by roll 24 and said segment. `'Belowsegment 25 on shaft 46 is fixed a sccond rotary segment 47 having anopposite similar member 48. Said segments 47 and 48 are for successiveco-action with segment 25 thereabove for engaging and forwarding thesheets in a horizontal direction after those sheets have been deliveredonto guide plates 42. Shaft 46 of said second rotary segments 47 and 48is yieldably mounted similarly to shaft 26 of roll 24 and furtherdescription of Said yieldable mounting is deemed unnecessar Forreceiving the sheets horizontally advanced by segments 25 and 47 or 48,I provide a traveling carrier', comprising chains 49 and 50 whose upperoperative runs respectively are preferably arranged horizontally. Saidchains may be supported on the usual sprockets as 51 and 52 to chain 49.Said sprockets as 51 are xed -to studs as 53 in reaching from sideframes 2 and 3 and said sprockets as 52 may be fixed to shaft 55 havingbearings in said side frames. Between chains 49 and 50, I preferablyprovide table 56 having its top surface in the ,same plane as orslightly below the upperv face of the iilpper run of said chains. Saidchains are e cient for delivering the sheets or periodicals successivelyto the addressing means and for advancing those sheets away from` theaddressing mea-ns after` having been addressed thereby. For greateraccuracy and precision of operation of chains 49 and 50, I preferablyprovide dogs as 57 spaced apart, on each of said chains fa distancegreater than the greatest length of sheet which said machine is adaptedto handle, plus a further distance equalto that traveled lby said chainsduring the retardation or stopping of the sheet incident to printing theaddress thereupon.

For printing the address upon the sheet, I employ a chain of addressplates 58 comprising a plurality of individual articulated plates as 59and 60, each bearing on its outer face a suitable address, not shown,but of a character well known in this art. For advancing these platessuccessively to printing position, I employ drum 6l mounted on shaft 62having suitable bearings in upstandingbrackets 64 and 65 of side frames2 and 3 respectively. Spring-urged flanged rolls 63 and 66 may beprovided for holding chain 58 in proper contact with drum 61 and forproviding suitable frictional resistance to the rotation of said drum.

Drum shaft 62 is slowly rotated at uniform speed from main shaft S() bymeans of gearing to be hereinafter described. Printing plates as 59 and60 may be inked prior to their advancement to printing position, by someconvenient well known means, not shown.V

For pressing the sheet against that printing plate which is in printingposition, said printing position being approximately directly belowshaft 62, I provide reciprocating platen 74. Said platen'is arranged toreciprocate approximately vertically and is further arranged foryielding in the direction of advancement of the printing plates. Tothese ends I provide arm 75 pivotally mounted at 76 in bracket 77depending from table 56 and in the free end of said arm printing platen74 is pivotally 'mounted at 7 8 and (zo-axially therewith is roll 79 forcoaction with cain 81 on main shaft 80. Upstandiiig from arm 7 5 is post82 through a hole in which screw 83 is Jr'ree to slideand said screw isthreaded into platen 7-1. Spring 81 is provided about the body of screw83 between post H2 and said platen for urging the head of' said screwagainst post 82 and by which means printing platen 74 is normally heldin fixed position relatively to arm 7 5 but is free to yield against thepressure of' said spring toward the right,v

Figs. 1 and 6, when so moved as will appear later herein. In thisconnection, it will be noted that table 56 is conveniently provided withaperture 101 for the passage of said platen 7 4. For timing at theprinting position, sheets as 9, as they are successively advanced bychains .19 and 50, I provide fingers as 85 and 86 mounted for projectionacross the path of sheet advancement for engagement with the leadingedge of the'sheet. In soine cases I mount said fingers adjustably asshown in Fig. 5, whereby the relation of the leading edge of the sheetto the printing position may be changed as desired. While said fingerswould be equally efficient for either stopping or retarding the sheetfor timing that sheet with the printing plate and its carrier, I havechosen to illustrate them as operating for temporarily stopping thesheet in its advancement. and vto this end said pins are fixed to thefree end of rock arms 87 and 88 respectively fixed to rock shaft 89pivotally mounted in suitable brackets depending from table 56. Alsofixed to .shaft 89 is arm 90 carrying at its free end roll 91 forengagement with cam 92 fixed to inain shaft 80. Said roll 91 may beurged to engagement by spring 93 pressing against heel 94 of arm 90. Inthe rapid operation of a machine of this character, it sometimes happensthat the sheet is advanced at such speed against fingers 85 and 86 as tocause that sheet to rebound whereby its registration is impaired. Toinsure against this possibility, I provide means for engagement with therearward edge of the sheet for urging that sheet in its direction of' Itravel against said fingers comprising `fingers 95 and 96 adjustablymounted on shaft 45. Said fingers are in the form of angled arms, theoperative ends of which project beyond the periphery of segment 25 andthe other ends of which are slidably mounted in dogs 97 and 98respectively, and which dogs are adjustable on said shaft 1:5. By meansof said adjustable mounting, said fingers 95 and 96 may be timed tocorrespond with different lengths of sheets, as desired.

For driving the several rotary members of my improved mechanism atsuitable speeds and timing, I connect them by means of toothed gears andsprockets and chains as follows: Main shaft 80 has fixed theretosprocket 112 connected by chain 113 with sprocket 1111 fixed to shaft 55whereby chains 49 and 5() are actuated to present one pair of op .iositedogs as :37 behind each sheet as thatV slieet is advanced over table 56.Fixed to stud 5&1 of frame 3 1s gear 115 meshing with gear 116 fixed toshaft 45; also fixed to said stud 53 is small gear 117 driving throughintermediate 118 gear 119 fixed to shaft L16. Said intermediate 118 isillusti'ated as mounted on fixed stud 120 outstanding froin frame 3,but, if desired, may lie-mounted as a fioating gear connected by linkswith studs 53 and shaft 16 respectively, as indicated in dot and dashlilies in Fig. 1.

For driving the printing plate carrier or drum 61 from main shaft 80, Iprovide a train of reducing gears including gear 121 fixed to shaft 80,gears 122 and 123 on stud 121, and gears 125 and 126 on stud 127, saidgear 126 meshing ,with gear 128 fixed to shaft 62. By means of .thisreducing gearing, drum 61 is rotated in anti-clockwise direction.Fig. 1. a peripheral distance equal to` one printing plate space forevery coinplete rotation of' main shaft 8() whereby for each sheetadvanced to printing position a printing plate is advanced tocorresponding position. Main shaft 8() is provided with pulley 13() towhich power may be conveyed by means of the usual belt, not shown, fromsome suitable source of power.

The operation of my improved mechanism is as follows: A stack of sheetsor periodicals being supplied to hopper 5, as shown in Fig. 1, power isapplied to pulley 13() and that pulley rotated in clockwise direction,Fig. 1, pneumatic gripper 34 being iii the position shown in said F ig.1, in gripping position relatively to front sheet 9. Finger l() nowswings to the right and the. upper edge of said front sheet is leddownwardly around roll24 by gripper 341, Fig. 3, whereupon segment 25,rotating in anti-clockwise direction, passes downwardly behind saidfront sheet and between it and the next sheet of l[he stack and finger10 swings back to its original position sustaining the remainder of thestack and lifting the remainder away from contact with the upper part ofsheet 9, Fig. Ll. Coincidently gripper 34- swings still fartherdownwardly and segment 25 co-acts with roll 24 and delivers sheet 9downwardly onto giuide plates 42. Presently thereafter and before roll24 and segment 25 have released their hold on sheet 9, segment 47rotates upwardly and forwardly in clockwise direction for coaction withsegment 25 for advancing the sheet onto table 5G over chains 49 and 50,Fig. l. Stop fingers 85 and 86 are now projected upwardly across thepath of the advancing sheet, Fig. 5, and said sheet 1s delivered againstthose fingers by seginentsQ and 4T or 48, or by chains 49 and 50 kanddirectly thereafter fingers 95 and 96 rotate into wiping engagement withthe rearward end of said sheet, if that sheet is in anyway out ofregistry with lingers 85 and 86, thereby restoring said sheet inregistration relatively to said stop fingers. 1f said sheet .was incorrect. registry with said fingers 85v and S6, fingers 95 and 96 willpass the rearward end of the sheet without affecting the position ofsaid sheet. Sheet 9 is now in registered position relatively to aprinting plate on drum (Si, but before that sheet is urged by platen T-Linto printing engagement with the printing plate, fingers 85 and 8G mustbe withdrawn, whereby said sheet will be permitted to move forwardly inthebite of said printing plate and platen' and in time with that.printing plate. Said-platen isis now moved upwardly by cam 81 andsimultaneously with the withdrawal of fingers 85 and 8G, forces sheet 9against the printing plate then in printing position and the movement ofthat plate in anticlockwise direction with drinn (5l moves sheet 9 ashort distance forwardly to the right, carrying platen 74e therewith,all as clearly shown in Fig. G.-

During the. retarding or stoppingof the sheet by fingers 85 and 86, andduring the slow forward movement of the sheet during the printingoperation, chains 49 and 50 have been advancing at their usual speed,whereby dogs 5T have moved from the position of Fig. 5 to that of Fig.6. Immediately after the releasing of the sheet from the grip of theprinting mechanism, said sheet is again within the control of chains L9and 5U for delivery to other operative mechanism not shown.

l claim: Y

1. A sheet feeding mechanism including in combination means forsupporting a stack ot' sheets on edge, including means for supportingthe lower portion of said sheets, a rotatable roll for engagement withthe foremost sheet above said lower sheet Supporting means. a pivotedarm, a pneumatic gripper oseillatably mounted in the free end of saidpivoted arm, means for oscillating said arm on its pivot, means foroscillating said gripper relatively to said arm for causing said gripperto flex said sheet about said roll and to maintain said gripper inconstant relation to the face of said sheet during its engagementtherewith, and means for forwarding the sheet from the pneumaticgripping means.

2. A sheet feeding mechanism including in combination means forsupporting a stack 0f sheets on edge, including means for supporting thelower portion of said sheets, a roll mounted for free rotation on ahorizontal axis for engagement with the foremost sheet above said lowersheet supporting means, means for folding the upper portion of saidforemost sheet downwardly around said roll and an intermittentlyoperable rotary segment for co-action with said rol-l for advancing thesheet after it has been folded around said roll.v

3. A sheet feeding mechanism including in combination means forsupporting a stack of sheets on edge, including means for supporting thelower portion of said sheets, a roll mounted for free rotation on ahorizontal vaxis for engagement with the foremost sheet above said lowersheet supporting means, means for folding the upper portion of `saidforemost. sheet downwardly around said roll and an intermittentlyoperable rotary segment for co-action with said roll for advancing thesheet after it has been folded around said roll, said roll beingyieldably mounted for movement toward and from said rotary segment.

4. A sheet feeding mechanism includin incombiimtion meansfoi-.supporting a stac of sheets on edge. including means for supportingthe lower portion of said sheets, a-

roll mounted for free rotation on a horizontal axis for engagement withthe foremost sheet above said lower sheet supporting means, means forfolding the upper portion of said foremost sheet downward-ly around saidroll, a traveling carrier, an intermittently operable rotary segment forco-action with said roll for advancing the sheet after it has beenfolded around said roll, said roll being yieldably mounted for movementtoward and from said rotary segment, a second intermittently operablerotary segment, yieldably mounted for movement toward and from saidfirst mentioned rotary segment for (fo-action with said first mentionedrotary segment for delivering the sheet to said traveling carrier andspring means for urging said second segment to (eo-action with saidfirst segment.

5. A sheet feeding mechanism including in combination means forsupporting a stack' of sheets on edge` including means for supportingthe lower portion of said sheets, intermittently acting means forsupporting the upper portion of the foremost sheet, means for actuatingsaid upper supporting means to alternately sustain and release saidforemost sheet, a roll mounted for free rotav tion'. on a horizontalaxis for enga ement with sald foremost sheet between sal lower and uppersheet supporting means, means for folding the upper portion of saidforemost sheet downwardly around said roll comprising a pivoted arm, apneumatic gripper pivotally mounted in the free end of said pivoted arm,means for oscillating said arm on its pivot, means for oscillating saidgripper relatively to said arm for causing said gripper to maintain aconstant relation to the face of said sheet during its on a horizontala-Xis for engagement with said foremost sheet between said lower andupper sheet supporting means, a pivoted arm, a pneumatic, gripperpivotally mounted in the free end of said pivoted arm, means foroscillating said arm on its pivot, means for oscillating said gripperrelatively to said arm for causing said gripper to vmaintain a constantrelation to the face of said sheet during its engagement therewith, arotary segment for co-action with said roll for advancing the sheetafter the operation of the pneumatic gripper, a traveling carrier and asecond rotary segment for co-action with said rst mentioned rotarysegment for delivering the sheet to said traveling carrier.

7. A sheet feeding mechanism including in combination means forsupporting a stackof sheets, a traveling carrier, means for removing thesheets one at a time from said stack and delivering them consecutivelyto said traveling carrier comprising a roll mounted for free rotation ona horizontal axis for engagement with the foremost sheet of `said stack,means for folding the upper portion of said foremost sheet downwardlyaround said roll comprising a pivoted arm, a pneumatic gripper pivotallymounted in the free end of said pivoted arm, means for oscillating saidarm on its pivot and mea-ns for oscillating said gripper relatively tosaid arm for causing said gripper to maintain a. constant relation tothe face of said sheet during its engagement therewith.

8. A sheet feeding mechanism including in combination means forsupporting a stark of sheets, a. traveling carrier, means for removingthe sheets one at a` time from said stack and delivering themconsecutively to said traveling carrier comprising a roll mounted forfree rotation on a horizontal axis for engagement with the foremostsheet of said stack, means for folding the-upper portion of saidforemost sheet downwardly around said roll, aI rotary segment forco-action with said roll for advancing the sheet after the operatirm ofthe pneumatic gripper, said roll being yieldably mounted for movementtoward and from said rotary segment, spring means for urging said rollto co-action with said vrotary segment, a second rotary segment forco-a'ction with said first mentioned rotary segment for delivering thesheet to said traveling carrier and spring means for urging said secondsegment to coaction with said iirst segment.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 18th day of June, 1913, before two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK DE MlNICO. W'Vitnesses:

Morris E. LEVY, CHAS. W. LA RUE.

